Toronto police said Thursday that the city has seen a staggering 74 per cent increase in gunfire incidents compared to the same time last year and they are actively working to combat gun crime.
“We know that the recent shooting tragedies across Toronto continue to deeply impact our city,” Deputy Chief Rob Johnson said at a news conference. “I want to assure our communities that addressing gun crime is a top priority for our service and every effort is being made to prevent shootings and advance our investigations.”
Police noted that most of the incidents are firearm discharges where no injuries were reported, and the number of gun deaths so far this year – 24 — is the same number that was seen in the city by this time in 2022.
Last year, there were just nine, though Johnson called 2023 “an outlier” where there were an unusually low number of shootings. For comparison, there were 17 fatal shootings by this time in in 2021, and 21 by this time in 2020.
Tow truck-related violence and shootings involving younger people are also making up an increasing share of Toronto’s gun violence, police said.
“The intelligence we are gathering is revealing some concerning trends,” Staff Supt. Joe Matthews said.
Since Jan. 1, the city has seen 24 tow truck-related shootings or discharges, representing 12 per cent of the incidents city-wide so far this year.
“Over the past six months Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area have seen increased criminal activity surrounding a small segment of tow truck industry,” Matthews said. “This includes shootings and firearms discharges, arsons and mischiefs targeting tow truck companies, their vehicles and their drivers.”
To combat the problem, the force said, TPS is launching a new Tow Truck Task Force to lead a “proactive preventative response.”
The update comes as police investigate the latest fatal shooting in the city at a housing complex in North York.
More to come…